Detachable shoulder pad



Jan. 12, 1954 M. v. JURICH 2,665,429 DETACHABLE SHOULDER PAD Filed 001;. 20, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l FIG.

INVENTOR. MURR/EL l4 JUR/Ch' BY 9 {I ATTORNEY Jan. 12, 1954 M. v. JURICH 7 2,665,429

. DETACHABLE SHOULDER PAD Filed 001;. 20, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. MURR/EL l JUR/CH ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 12, 1954 UNITED STATES r rear OFFICE DETACHABLE SHOULDER Murriel V. Jurich, Alhambra,0alif. Application October 20, 1951, Serial No. 252,332

*6 Claims.

This invention relates o detachable shoulder pads of the type worn by women under dresses .and provides an improved detachable shoulder pad adapted to be fastened to the shoulder strap of a slip or a brassire or both. The invention also provides an insert which may he incorporaed in any pad to increase wearing comfort and to create a detachable shoulder pad of substantiallyany style desired.

This application is a continuation-impart of my application Serial No. l7'8j0'66 which was filed on August '7, 195.0, and which is now abandoned. Shoulder pads are worn inside dresses to change the shoulder contour, and may be of the permanent type, which are permanently fastened inside the dress, or of the detachable type, which are fastened either tothe dress or to the'shoulder strap of an undergarment. The permanent type of shoulder pad offers disadvantages, since 'it should be removed for proper laundering. The detachable shoulder pads heretofore have been insecure and uncomfortable, especially when they are fastened to the shoulder strap of anundergarment.

I have developed improvements in detachable shoulder pads of the type which affixe to the shoulder straps of'undergarments. The shoulder pads of my invention are comfortable and at the same time secure.

In brief, my invention contemplates the com,- b'ination .in a detachable shoulder pad which comprises two projections on'that portion of the pad which is adjacent the neck of the wearer and extending parallel to the main plane of the pad, one above the other. At least the lower of the two projections is itself padded and means are provided for fastening the outside ends of the two projections together. In use, the lower projection of the shoulder pad is slipped under the shoulder straps of the undergarments, such as a slip and a 'brassiere and then the outside ends of the two projections are fastened together, for example by a mating snap fastener, with one member of the snap fastener, saythemale member, disposed on the upper surface of the lower projection and the other member of thesnap fastener, say the female member, in a "matching position on the under surface of the upper proi'ection.

Preferably, the two projections match each "other, "i. e. of the same size and shape, with their outside edges adjoining each other when the two projection are placed together. Moreover, it-is preferable to so shape the matching projections that they taper toward their outside ends, -i. e. toward the neck of the wearer.

In the preferred "form of the shoulder pad of my invention, I provide means in the gap between the two projections for preventing the shoulder 'pad from slipping on the strap. Thus, for example, a sheet of rubber (or other material having a high coeflicient with respect to the ribbon of which the strap is composed) i disposed between the two projections of the shoulder pad. Preferably, the upper face of the lower projection and the lower face of the upper projection are provided with'suc'h non-skid leaves.

Preferably, the non-skid leaves are provided with ribs running transversely to the shoulder strap and made of a pliable material with ahigh coeflicient of friction, for example rubber or some other'elastomer. If desired, both of the projections may be provided with such ribs, which should he staggered so "that the ribs of the upper projection come between the ribs on'the lower projection when the two projections are fastened together. The pliable non-skid ribs are particularly desirable, since they eifectively prevent the shoulder pad from slipping off the shoulder.

By padding at least the lower of the two projections, greater comfort is assured to the wearer.

'In an alternative-embodiment of the invention, 1 provide a pair of tapes secured at their ends to and extending between the two projections of the shoulder pad. The units of the mating snap fastener are secured to the respective tapes, and a multiple'point staple is employed on one of the tapesto engage the shoulder strap of a slip or a brassi'ereand prevent the pad from slipping on the strap.

'If desired, the latter embodiment of the inventionmaylbe constructed in the form of an insert which may be sew-ed to virtually any shoulder ,pad. in order to convert the pad to a detachable type. Preferably the lower side of the insert .should be padded so as to increase wearing com- .fort.

These and other .taspect of my invention will .beunderstood.morethoroughly.in thelight of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

:Fig. 11 is .apictorial View illustrating shoulder pads of myinvention in ,place on a wearer;

Fig.2 :isaapplan view of :one form of the shoulder :pad of myinvention;

Fig. 3 is a section taken through the shoulder rpad'o'f :Fig. '2 aalong-the line :3-3

Rig. 4 "is another LSBGfiOIl taken through the shoulder pad of :Eigs, 2 and :3 along "the line l-4 of ttheilatterfigure Fig. 5 is a plan view of another modification of the shoulder pad of my invention;

Fig. 6 is an end view of the shoulder pad of Fig.5;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of an alternative embodiment of the shoulder pad of my invention;

Fig. 8 is a section taken through the shoulder pad of Fig. '7 along the line 88;

Fig. 9 is an oblique view of the multi-point staple which is employed in the shoulder pad shown in Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a View of the lower side of an insert which may be sewed to a shoulder pad to convert the pad to a detachable type; and

Fig. 11 is a section ta zen through the insert of Fig. 10 along the line l I-! l.

Referring to Fig. 1, a pair of detachable shoulder pads Hi, i! are disposed on the shoulders of the wearer and held in place by the shoulder straps l2, l3 of a slip i l. The shoulder pad H of Fig. 1 is shown in greater detail in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. In plan, the pad is shaped generally like half of an ellipse and is formed from an elliptical piece of cloth 8:: folded over on itself to enclose a padding [G of cotton, wool or other fiber. The outer end ll of the pad contains the most padding material and this is gradually tapered down to a thin portion i8 about midway into the other end of the pad. The inside end of the pad is formed by two tapered matching projections 19, 20 which lie generally parallel to the main plane of the pad and are formed of multiple layers of fabric, so that the projections are themselves padded. Thus, as shown in Fig. 3, both the upper projection and the lower projection are composed of multiple layers of soft cloth.

As shown in Fig. 2, the entire tructure is quilted by parallel seams which run from the outside end to the inner or tapered end of the pad, the projections as well as the thicker part of the pad being thus quilted.

The upper projection of the shoulder pad is provided with a male member 2| of a snap fastener, the matching female member 22 being disposed in the lower projection with its cavity opening upward. The two projections are adapted to be snapped together over a shoulder strap, say the shoulder strap i3 of Fig. 1.

If desired, two snap fasteners may be employed as shown in Fig. 2 or a single snap fastener may be used as shown in Fig. 5. In either case, it is desirable to employ at least one non-skid leaf 23 of material such as rubber. Preferably two nonskid leaves 23, 2d are employed, one being dis posed on the lower side of the upper projection adjacent the point of contact with the shoulder strap and the other in a matching position on the upper side of the lower projection.

As shown in Fig. 4, I prefer to employ nonskid member 23, 24 having raised ribs 25, 25A, 25B, 26, 25A, 25B. These ribs run transverse to the axis of the shoulder strap between the snap fastener and the point where the two projections come together, so that the shoulder strap is disposed between them and crosses the ribs more or less at right angles.

As shown in Fig. 4, it is desirable that the ribs on the upper projection be offset from the ribs on the lower projection. I have found that in this way greater security from slippage is obtained.

Preferably, the ribs are formed integrally on a cloth tape backing which is sewed to the projections as shown particularly in Fig. 4.

The shoulder pad of Figs. 5 and 6 is substan- [l tially the same as that of Figs. 2, 3 and 4, save that the pad is made concave, so as to fit the shoulder, this being accomplished by means of a stiffener fabric (not shown). The pad of Figs. 5 and 6 also differs in that the quilting runs across the pad rather than along the pad, and only a single snap fastener is employed to hold the two projections of the pad together when the pad is 1n use.

The embodiment of the shoulder pad shown in Figs. 7 and 8 is easier to construct than the pads described above, and it provides a more positive grip on the shoulder strap of the wearer.

The pad is shaped generally like half of an ellipse, and it is concave so as to fit the shoulder of the wearer. The shoulder pad is formed from a padding 4%, which is preferably foam rubber, and a stifiener fabric G2 which maintains the padding 40 so that its lower surface is concave.

The padding Ml and the stiffener 42 are enclosed at the top by a piece of cloth M, and at the large end and underneath by the cloth 48 which is preferably two pieces of cloth sewed together along the center of the pad so as to provide a close fitting enclosure for the pad.

The portion of the shoulder pad which is to be located adjacent the neck of the wearer has two projections, 48- and 58, disposed one above the other, with the tapered end of the padding 4% extending into the upper projection 48.

Padding 52, which is preferably foam rubber, is provided in the lower projection 58. The padding 52 is cemented to the padding Mi at 53.

The inner portions of the projection 48 and 5% are closed by two pieces of cloth 58 and 60 which are sewed together at a seam 62, and are sewed to the coverings 44 and 48 at the seams Ed and 66.

A pair of tapes H1 and T2 are secured to the adjoining surfaces of the two projections at the seams 52, Ed and 66, so that the tapes l8 and 72 are coextensive. The two mating portions of a. fastener 14 are attached to the respective tapes to and 12 so that the tapes can be fastened together with a shoulder strap passing between them. A multipoint staple '56, which is secured to the lower tape 12, is located between the fastener l4 and the seam 62.

The staple it has a plurality of pointed projections which extend toward the upper tape Til for engaging the shoulder strap of the undergarments of the wearer. The staple 76, which is shown in greater detail in Fig. 9, is of triangular shape, and the pointed projections extend through the lower tape 12. The pointed projections located at the three corners of the staple are bent over so as to secure the staple to the lower tape 72.

If desired, the inner portions of the projections 58 and 50 may be fabricated in the form of a unitary insert which may be sewed to the body of the shoulder pad shown in Figs. 7 and 8. Also, such an insert may be sewed to virtually any shoulder pad in order to convert the pad to a detachable type.

Figs. 10 and 11 show such an insert. The two pieces of cloth 58 and 69 which provide the adjoining surfaces of the projections are sewed together along one side at 62, with the tapes l0 and 12 extending between the pieces of cloth at the seam 62. The other ends of the tapes 10 and 12 are secured to the two pieces of cloth at the seams and 82.

Preferably, the padding 52 is secured to the cloth 60 with cement.

Thus, the insert shown in Figs. and 11 is a unit which can be sewed to almost any type of shoulder pad. In order to convert a non-detachable type shoulder pad into a detachable type, the inner end portion of the shoulder pad is ripped open and the insert shown in Figs. 10 and 11 is placed in the opening. The insert is then sewed to the outer coverings of the shoulder pad, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, and if necessary the cloth of the insert is trimmed so as to conform with the outline of the shoulder pad.

The arrangement employing two tapes secured at their outer ends to the adjoining surfaces of the two projections, as shown in Figs. 7 to 11, for carrying the fastener and the staple is of simple but durable construction.

The shoulder pads of my invention are durable, relatively inexpensive, and much more comfortable and secure than shoulder pads heretofore designed to be attached to shoulder straps of womens undergarments. They may be put on and removed with great ease by the wearer and are easy to launder. Moreover, they may be used with a variety of costumes.

I claim:

1. In a detachable shoulder pad, the combination which comprises two projections on that portion of the pad which is adjacent the neck of the wearer and disposed one above the other with the padding of the main body of the shoulder pad extending into the upper projection, additional padding being located in the lower projection, a pair of tapes secured to the adjoining surfaces of the two projections, means secured to the two tapes for fastening the tapes together with a shoulder strap passing between them, and means secured to the lower tapeand located between the fastening means and the main body of the pad for engaging the shoulder strap and securing the pad to the strap in response to the pressure of the strap.

2. An insert for use in a shoulder pad comprising two pieces of material of approximately triangular shape located one above the other and secured together along one side, a fastener secured to the two pieces of material and located intermediate said one side and the junction between the other sides of the pieces of material, a staple secured to one of the pieces of material and located intermediate said one side of the piece of material and the fastener, the staple having at least one projection extending toward the other piece of material, and a pad secured to the outer side of one of the pieces of material and being at least coextensive with the staple.

3. An insert for adapting a shoulder pad to be secured to and detached from a shoulder strap, comprising two pieces of cloth located one above the other and secured together along one side, a pair of tapes respectively secured to the pieces other and secured together along one side, a

of cloth at the ends of the tapes and extending between the pieces of cloth from the sides thereof which are joined together, a fastener having mating sections respectively secured to the tapes, and means for engaging a shoulder strap secured to one of the tapes and located intermediate the fastener and the end of the tape which is adjacent the sides of the pieces of cloth which are secured together.

4. The insert of claim 3 further including'a pad secured to the outer side of one of the pieces of material and being at least coextensive with the shoulder strap engaging means.

5. An insert for adapting 'a shoulder pad to be secured to and detached from a shoulder strap, comprising two pieces of cloth of substantially triangular shape located one above the pair of tapes secured to the respective pieces of cloth at the ends of the tapes and extending substantially along the axes of the pieces of cloth between the sides of the pieces of cloth which are secured together and the junctions between the other two sides of the pieces of cloth, a fastener having mating sections respectively secured to the tapes, a staple secured to one of the tapes and located intermediate the fastener and the end of the tape which is'adjacent the sides of the pieces of cloth whichare secured together, the staple having a plurality of pointed projections extending toward the other tape, and a'resilient pad secured to the outer side of the piece of material to which the tape carrying the staple is secured.

6. In a detachable shoulder pad, the combination which comprises two projections on that portion of the pad which is adjacent the neck of the wearer and disposed one above the other,

at least the lower of the two projections being padded, means for fastening the outer ends of the two projections together, a pair of tapes se cured to the adjoining surfaces of said two projections, and a staple secured to one of the tapes and having a plurality of projections extending toward the other tape for engaging a shoulder strap and securing the pad to the strap in response to the pressure exerted by said two projections when their outer ends are fastened together. Y

MURRIEL V. JURICH.

Great Britain Feb. 14, 1947 

